How do I become a nurse?

[another_try]

Hey everyone,

 

Just a bit about me. I graduated from high school 3 years ago and at that time I did not pursue any post-secondary education. I moved out of my parents house because of a variety of reason.

 

I worked low paying jobs since then while renting out a small room. It was great the first year - to be able to live on my own. It was awesome. But soon the shine went away. I realized that I needed education in life. I've always wanted to work in a hospital. As such I am thinking about pursuing nursing at UWO as a starting option.

 

It took a lot of courage to make the decision to go back to school. I just need some advice. How do I apply to nursing? What's the process? will they look at my high school marks?

 

Also, do you guys have any tips with regards to finances? I don't have any money. Most of it just goes to pay the rent/groceries. I know there's OSAP, but for that I need parent's income if I am not mistaken. I am not in a position to face my parents. I want to at least get into 2nd year of nursing and then I will talk to them.

 

I hope someone is able to guide me. From what I was able to research, would talking to the nursing counselor be the first step then? I also heard about something called Student Welfare for people who need finances.

 

One last thing, can I miraculously get into UWO for January 2010 and take some nursing courses?

[Jochi1543]

Well, all you need to do to see if you can get into nursing is simply go to schools' websites and see their requirements. Nursing doesn't seem to be too hard to get into, compared to some other fields. They DO have some high school requirements, so you may need to do some upgrading before you can be eligible for admission. All that information is available on every nursing program's website.

 

As far as $, explore your chosen school's financial aid website as well as the list of financial aid options on the nursing faculty's website. You may find that you are eligible for something. Can't comment on OSAP since I'm not from Ontario, but I know that here in AB, if you have been out of HS for an X number of years, you no longer need parents' info (I believe the magic # is 4 - so if it's the same in Ontario, you would just need to wait another semester and start in Sep 2010 instead).

 

For January 2010 entry - again, peruse the faculty's website and see whether 1) they admit for January entry (most do) 2) what the requirements are 3) when the deadline is (probably something like Sep 30 for January entry).

[Rayven]

Just to confirm what Jochi said, for OSAP purposes you are considered an "independent" is if you've been out of high school for 4 years or more. Being an independent means that they don't count your parents' income against you and you are eligible for a slightly larger OSAP amount than your traditional student.

 

If you have any money now.. I'd go and hide it before applying to OSAP. I think the max OSAP amount for independents is around $12,500 or $14,500/year. Which means you should probably be expecting realistically around $10k to $11k unless your income is really high (by OSAP standards).

 

It's do-able... but it's hard. Definitely.. really.. hard.

 

Even though it states 4 years as the requirement, I believe it's possible to still claim independence if you provide documents proving you provide for yourself and have been living by yourself without receiving financial support from your parents.

 

One last thing, if you're thinking of applying for the 2010 cycle then I'd urge you to hurry and contact admissions because you will likely require some "upgrade" courses (which btw are not covered by OSAP) and you'll most likely need the marks for these courses by the time admissions roll in... so basically.. hurry. =p

[future_doc]

See PM (Private Message} in upper right hand corner and click on it.

[Hopeful Med]

You are an independent student as you have been out of high school and post secondary for 12 consecutive months. So you are fine there and need not worry about your parent's income.

 

Do you have your 12U needed courses for nursing? You need 12U Chem, Bio, sometimes 12U Math and 12U English. You can go to night school for those courses and they are free.

[abdur-RN]

does any body know about Cherokee Nursing scholarships..?

[EthanFoster]

There are three different ways of getting a registered nurse degree, although the first two are by far the most popular. The first one is the traditional four year Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which is just like any other bachelors degree, and is offered at traditional and community colleges. The second one is the Associates Degree in Nursing, which takes two or three years to complete, and is usually offered at community and technical colleges. The third option, which is much less common than it used to be, is the hospital diploma plan, where you actually study nursing for several years by working right in a hospital with other nurses, and with educators. This is sometimes supplemented with college classes in non nursing courses at a local community college. Of course, for LPNs, the requirements are different, as it usually only takes a year of study, and is rarely offered at hospitals or traditional colleges. You’ll generally acquire an LPN certification at a community or technical college.

[JB.]

Ethan- I'm pretty sure an associates degree is not recognized in Canada as a degree. I know it is in the States. In Canada, since 2005, graduating nursing students can not be recognized as RNs w/out the 4 year degree. That being said, you can either get your degree through a university like Mac or through a college like Mohawk. If you go through a college, that college is paired with a university, so don't think the workload is easier.

 

My aunt is an RN and works with a lot of the students when they do the clinical portions. Her take on the programs are that students going through the college programs get a lot more hands on training. This enables students to hit the floor running. She has found fault w/ students coming strictly through a university program. She said the theory is great, but the students often finish four years of school and have no idea how to do basic things i.e. IVs.

 

I had looked into nursing and her biggest advice was to make sure the program was heavy in clinicals. In the event you'd like to go the administration route, she said a nursing program from a university would be your best bet.

[Simeon Lewis]

There are two ways to become an RN, a two-year associates or four-year baccalaureate RN program. An associates program is less expensive, puts you into the field more quickly, and often has a more flexible schedule. A baccalaureate program is a springboard for an advanced degree (e.g., nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, etc.), and offers a program with more breadth and depth. Often, associates-prepared nurses go back to school later to acquire a baccalaureate degree. And then the licensing exam all graduates need to take to become registered nurses.

[TonesRN]

There are two ways to become an RN, a two-year associates or four-year baccalaureate RN program. An associates program is less expensive, puts you into the field more quickly, and often has a more flexible schedule. A baccalaureate program is a springboard for an advanced degree (e.g., nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, etc.), and offers a program with more breadth and depth. Often, associates-prepared nurses go back to school later to acquire a baccalaureate degree. And then the licensing exam all graduates need to take to become registered nurses.

 

As was mentioned earlier in this thread, and to my understanding, there are NO MORE 2 year diploma programs in Canada. Since 2005, the minimum entry to practice is a bachelor's degree. All programs are either 4 year baccaulaureate programs (most common) or a 2 year compressed after degree program (at the U of A and U of C for sure, not aware of other schools - this is once applicant already has a degree in another field).

[Shelley Watson]

There are two educational paths to becoming a nurse. First is either an associate’s degree in nursing or a bachelor’s degree. There were diploma tracks also, but they lost importance, as most candidates opt for associate’s degrees or bachelor’s degrees, due to their availability and versatility.

Further details ae available in the following site. http://www.mayo.edu/mshs/rn-career.html

[vicganda]

well i think if it is your passion to pursue nursing why not if it is in line with your interest...go on!!!

[john2635]

i think you should check nursing school in your area. After doing certification from a good istitute you should come at field to gain experience of atleast 2 years..... then you can apply anywhere. they will hire you 4 sure.